Cursed Love
by SnapDragon123
Summary: She took a deep breath and said, “I know you can cast curses…can you remove them as well?” And that's how it all began. MegumiXOC and some SakiXKazuma Constructive criticism is welcome, no Flames. COMPLETE!
1. Realization

They came in police cars, their flashing red lights cut through the dark night. I heard them before I saw them. I looked out the window. And I knew what had happened. Because this was not the first time I heard those sirens. It probably wasn't just police cars. Probably ambulances as well. And I knew who would be in that ambulance. My brother, Ryu.

I heard the loud knocking at the front door downstairs. My sister, Misaki, answered it. Her sandy brown hair was in curlers, she was wearing a night gown and slippers. She must not have heard the sirens, she was always a heavy sleeper, and she must not know.

"Yes," she said, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

"Are you Ms. Misaki Yamada?"

"Yes, I am, can I help you officer?"

"I'm afraid to tell you that your elder brother was found in the river not far from the highway. He was taken to the hospital immediately, but he…he didn't make it through. I'm very sorry ma'am…"

The rest of that night was a blur. Long and useless interrogation after interrogation. Both me and Misaki where questioned, being his sisters, and the only living relatives he had left.

_Had your brother had any thoughts of suicide? Did he seem depressed or angry? _

No, of course not. He was always smiling about something. He loved his life. He wouldn't have given it up.

_Are there any people who might have wanted to see him dead? _

No one hated him that much. People could dislike him, but know one could truly hate Ryu.

_Why was he out tonight?_

Probably a party. He had a lot of friends.

The police where completely stumped. How does happy, well liked, friendly guy end up in a river?

Ryu can't die. He just can't. He was so alive just 6 hours ago. There are so many thing I should have said to him before he left. He couldn't die. It was the curse.

The police left, leaving Misaki and I to mourn the loss of our brother, our friend.

"Sayoko, It'll be alright," Misaki said. "It's not like when dad died. Remember we had to go to a foster home for a year, until Ryu turned 18? That was the worst. At least I'm old enough to take care of you." She laughed, but it was not her usual warm laugh, it was cold and dry. I kept crying. Misaki held me close to her. She wasn't crying, but I knew that as soon as she put me to bed, she would cry herself to sleep.

"I knew this would happen. Like Mama, and Father, and Grandpa, and Grandma, and all of our aunts and uncles and cousins. We where next. It's the curse. He didn't believe it…" she trailed off, I saw the tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, but her eyes where red now.

"I didn't believe it either," I admitted. "Until now." I considered what this meant. If the curse was true, It would not be long before Misaki and I joined our family in death. "Are you afraid?" I asked.

"Of dying? No. To me, death is just another beginning. Maybe I'll be reincarnated, but whatever happens, I'm ready. Are you? Afraid, I mean?"

I didn't answer. But the answer was yes. I didn't want to die. There was so much I wanted to do. I wanted to graduated from high school. I wanted to be famous, to have a painting in an art galleries in New York and Paris. I wanted to fall in love. I wanted to get married and have a family. I knew I would never get the chance.

I went to bed that night feeling empty. I couldn't sleep at all. Sometime at 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning I got out of bed and got out my sketchbook. I had 24 other sketch books, all of them full, but this one was my favorite. It was the biggest, and had my name engraved on it. I flipped to the page with my most recent sketch of Ryu. A small piece of paper fell from in between to pages. _To Sayuko_, was written on the front. I opened out.

Sayuko, vhcvs adhkvl jdbuvb nif jfbv ikikadbu nfujsdb hjlcsfadbhjvcbl ifhnhabvbu ujdh jsb jbdfb jnfpaf nufbual hfbual bfuib fiheurqiu om dk Misaki ifnoaofasb niopwgfnbs huoirwvb.

_Ryu_

I stood confused. Then, as a I recognized the hand writing, I grinned. Ryu's secret code. Somewhere in my messy room I had a little piece of paper that told me what all the random gibberish meant. But I was to tired to look now. I ripped out the page and taped it to the wall. I climbed into bed and remembered the first time I'd heard of the curse.


	2. The Curse

Mama died when I was only 8. She was 23 years old. She'd died, the doctor said, of a wasting disease that had been slowly eating her from the inside for months. That was the first time I'd ever seen my father cry. That night he gathered us all together and told us a story.

_There was a man who lived in the country. He was a simple farmer, and could barely scrape by a living for himself and his wife and old mother. One day, his wife said she was expecting a baby. The man was very worried. He knew that he would not be able to provide for the child and give him the things that he would need in life—"_

"Then," said Ryu, who at 17 believed himself to be to old for stories. "Why'd he get her pregnant in the first place?" Father gave him a "This isn't the time for joking_" _look. Ryu was silent. Father continued.

_He was scared of course, for the child sake. 8 months passed. He knew it would not be long until the baby was born. So he went into town and begged the town's usurer for money. _

"_How would a simple peasant farmer be able to repay the debt?" he asked with a laugh._

"_I will be able to pay you back in a year. I just need this money for my child."_

_So the usurer agreed, "But," he said, "if you are not able to repay the debt within a year, I will have you and your family killed killed." The farmer agreed to these harsh conditions. But when he got home with all the money he realized the foolish thing he had done. He knew he could not repay the man in a year. He could try selling all his possessions_. _But nothing he owned would fetch a large price, not nearly enough to repay his debt at any rate. He knew that in a year's time he would think of something._

_That week his wife gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. The farmer was so happy. He spent the money on all of the babies essential needs, and he grew very well. Soon, the child's first birthday was just around the corner, and the man found himself facing the same predicament he had a year earlier. So he resorted to stealing it. But eventually, he was caught. The man, a magistrate who he had been taking gold from that day , was furious, and threatened to kill the man then and there. He begged for forgiveness and explained his situation. The magistrate considered for a moment. _

"_I am a kindhearted man, so, if you do something for me, I will not kill you. Not only that, I will be your "benefactor" and supply your son with an education and money enough to feed him. and you will become rich."_

"_What must I do?" he asked._

"_Kill my enemy."_

_He told him of a great powerful sorcerer that threatened his land. If the farmer killed him, then all would be forgiven._

_So he did as he was told. He went to the sorcerer's home, and gave him offerings and gifts he had gotten from the magistrate. He was invited into his home, and they had a feast. He was introduced to the his wife, a beautiful and charming witch-woman, and was treated like royalty. He considered staying, but knew that he would be hunted down and killed. _

_That night as the sorcerer slept, the farmer stabbed him in the heart. His wife awoke then, and as she looked down at the scene before her, the farmer pulling a knife out of her husbands bleeding chest, she broke down sobbing hysterically. She looked at man._

"_You," she said, "You did this. You will suffer for it."_

_He tried explain, but she did not listen. "I curse you, she said, "you and you family will die."_

_He fell to his knees. "Please!" he cried, " I repaid all my debts. I had nothing but good intentions."_

"_The road to hell is paved with good intentions," she said disgustedly, and with a flick of her wrist the man fell down dead._

_And that day, each of his kin all died simultaneously for what the man had done all except for that little child. For some unknown reason, he survived, and lived long enough to have more children, before he himself died too._

Father stopped. We waited for him to continue, but he did not.

"Is that it?" Ryu asked in a hoarse whisper. Father nodded. "Why…why did you tell us that?" Ryu asked. Father looked away.

"Because the man's name was Hiroshi. Hiroshi Yamada."

We exchanged horrified looks.

"But that's our name." I said.

"Yes, it is. This was not some fairy tale. It really happened. This is a curse we bear. None of us will live very long. We will all eventually die before we really begin to live." A shocked silence over took the room.

"Be quiet!" Ryu finally shouted. We all looked surprised. "That's bull shit! It can't be. Things like that don't happen!"

"Yes they do," said our dad quietly. "You do not believe me? Then answer me these. Why is it that we have no cousins our aunts our uncles to speak of. They have all died. Why is it you never met your Grandparents? They where gone before you where even born, when I was still a child. No one has lived to the age of 40."

"What about Mom?" Ryu asked still shouting. "She isn't a Yamada! How come she's…" he trailed off, not wanting to say it.

"If you marry into this family you share the curse. Even if you divorce out of it you are cursed."

Ryu was shaking with anger. "Did you even tell her?"

"Yes."

"Then how come she married you?"

"Because she, like you, did not believe."

"It isn't true!"

Father was silent. "You know," he said, "You mother was going to have a baby two years ago."

We where stunned. "How can that be?" I asked, "Her belly didn't get big or anything? What happened?"

"Two months into the pregnancy, the baby died," he responded automatically, "Apparently it wasn't developing right, and they had to remove it, or it would have hurt Mama. That's the youngest anyone in our family has died."

I could see tears in Ryu's eyes. "SHUT UP!" he shouted and ran away. I was crying, too, by know. Father held me but said nothing to comfort me. What was there to say. _Everything will be alright Sayoko, it's only imminent death. _

"I always knew."

We looked up at Misaki who was sitting with her knees pressed against her chest. "I always knew something was strange. That we had no family, and that everyone was dying. But I thought…I thought it was just a coincidence. But when Mom died, that's when I truly knew." I just cried harder into Father's chest. Who knew if this would be the last day I would see him.

Two years went by, and I started to think that Ryu was right, perhaps it was a silly legend. But then we got the call from the police. Father had died in a car accident, a hit and run driver ran him off the road and into a ditch. Ryu still did not believe. Misaki believed it strongly, but I did not know what to think. I simply tried to forget.


	3. Saki's Announcement

"I'm so glad we got everyone here!" Tohru said, pulling Saki and I into a tight hug.

"It's only been a week," I said, trying to gasp for air.

"Megumi, means he's glad to see you," said Saki, returning Tohru's hug. Arisa returned from the kitchen, carrying the tray of tea. "Hey Megumi, how's your first year of high school?" she said grinning widely.

"It's hell."

She laughed and ruffled my hair. "I've taught you well." I put my hair back into place. She only does that to annoy me. Though I was really glad they where back. Arisa and Tohru had moved and Saki spent most of her time at the karate dojo with Kazuma. Though I hated to admit it, I was jealous of him, and I missed having Saki around. I had no friends at my high school, and I liked when Arisa, Tohru, and Saki came.

"So," Arisa said, "What did you want to tell us?"

Saki had called us all here because, she had said, she had important news. She took a painfully slow sip of tea. She paused, and took another sip.

"C'mon! just say it already!" Arisa grabbed the cup away from her. Saki smiled mischeviously. "Well, as you know, I'm living with Kazuma now."

"Uh huh."

"And things have been going very well."

"Right."

"So we've decided…" she looked around at everyone in turn.

"Could you get to the point?" Arisa said irritably.

"Yes, Hana-chan, what have you decided to do?" Tohru asked.

"We're getting married."

Silence.

"Does anyone want snacks?" she asked rising to go to the kitchen. Arisa grabbed her arm and pulled her back,

"What do you mean!?"

"Snacks? Aren't you hungry?"  
"Forget the damn snacks! Your getting married!?"

"I already said that."

Arisa simply looked at her as if she'd grown an second head.

"Hana-chan! That's great!" Tohru said, hugging her again. "Can I be a Bride's Maid?"

"Your both Maids of Honor."

Arisa finally regained the ability to speak. "I thought there could only one Maid of Honor."

"Well, it really won't be a traditional wedding. We're having it at the dojo. I already have my dress picked out. You have to come to the dojo to see everything."

"Well Megumi?" Tohru said, smiling, "Your big sister's getting married? What do you think?"

"I knew this would happen." I said simply.

"How can be so calm? I can't even believe it!"

Little did she know, I was far from calm. I knew this would mean Saki would come by less. She had Kazuma, why would she still come back? I couldn't hate Kazuma, because I had prayed for him. He truly loved Saki. I couldn't hate Saki, she was doing what would make her happiest. All I could do is hate myself for being so selfish and jealous.

"Hey, does Kyo know yet?" Arisa asked, and evil smile spreading across her face.

"I don't believe so."

"Tohru, lets go find him, I gotta see the look on his face when he hears this! See ya tomorrow, okay?" Arisa dragged Tohru out the door.

I looked away from Saki. I wondered if she knew how I truly felt.

"Megumi?"

I didn't answer.

"Megumi. I just want you to know. Even if I get married, It won't change anything between us. I still love you." She came and hugged me.

"I know," I said, "But still, I…" I trailed off not knowing how to say what I wanted to. She seemed to understand anyway. She held me, like she used to when we where little kids, and I could only pray that she was telling the truth.


	4. How to Handle High School Bullies

Megumi walked down the empty school hallway. It was always empty around late afternoon, but since his mother got that part-time job, he was not as fortunate as his classmates, who could leave early. He was trying to find the nearest empty classroom, and heard a voice behind him.

"Hey," it said. He turned to see a very large boy standing behind him. Two equally large boys surrounding him. He knew who he was. Koichi Utugawa, the captain of the wrestling team. The biggest senior in the school. "Your Megumi Hanajima, right?"

Megumi considered him. "Yeah," he said finally.

"Your Saki Hanajima's brother?"

"Yes." He believed he knew what was coming, and he prepared himself for it.

"Is it true what they say about her? That she's a witch?"

Megumi clenched his fists, and tried not to get angry. He knew that when he started high school, these kind of questions would be expected. Middle school had been the same thing. He knew how to handle these types of people anyway.

"She's not a witch." He said matter-of-factly.

"She's a freak," Koichi said "so tell me, are you a freak, too? His friends sniggered. Megumi wondered how much of his time it would take.

"Well?"

"I guess you could say that."

Koichi looked surprised. He obviously not expected him to agree. "Yeah, well we don't like freaks." He cracked his knuckles menacingly. Megumi simply raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Yeah, and why not," Koichi said advancing on Megumi, "It would be easy enough."

"You know," Megumi said, almost conversationally, "My sister has a special power, she has depna waves."

"I know," Koichi said, grinning, "Like I said, she's a freak."

"Perhaps you could see it like that. Anyway, I have too have a special power. It took me years to learn and perfect, but I'm pretty good at it now."

Koichi stopped for a moment. "What do you do?"

"Curses." He let the words sink in their minds.

"I…I don't believe you," Koichi said, but fear glimmered in his eyes.

"It's really simple, all I need to know is your name," he a small smile appeared on his face. "Koichi Utugawa," He turned to the other two boys, "Hideo and Katsuro Moyoki."

He saw there faces go pale.

"It takes only three days," he began, than paused for effect, "For the curse to start working." Slowly he walked away, and heard the satisfying sound of footsteps running quickly in the other direction. _Yes, _he thought, _high school is hell. But it's manageable._

None of them noticed the girl with light auburn hair and green-hazel eyes that stood silently behind the a row of lockers. Sayoko Yamada came out from her hiding place where she had heard every word.

"Megumi Hanajima," she repeated the name several times. Would he be able to help her? She would have to wait three days and see.


	5. Clever Bribery

"It was crazy," Koichi said under his breath to a group of boys. "In three days, I started hearing voices in my head, and I hurt all over. I felt like someone had run over me with a truck or something!"

"No way," one guy said, "Are you serious?"

"Of course! Why would I make this stuff up? He's a freak, and that's not all." He lowered his voice even further and paused for effect

"Things kept happening to me."

"Things? What things?"

"All sorts of weird accidents. I hit a wall at wrestling practice, I tripped and fell and scraped up my face, I even got attacked my neighbors dog! It wasn't natural. It was him!"

At that moment Megumi walked by, a smug triumphant look on his face.

"Remember," He said slowly, "What happens to those who try anything with me." With that he kept walking, not looking back.

"We should just stay away from him," Koichi said.

A boy grinned, "Why, scared Koichi?"  
Koichi's face reddened, "No way! I just…I don't want to catch whatever he's got. Now c'mon, we'll be late for practice."

Megumi couldn't help but laugh to himself as he walked into the nearest empty classroom.

"Hey."

He turned and saw a girl. She had long light auburn hair, and green-hazel eyes, and she was holding something in her hand.

"Hey," he answered. He expected her to be a curiousity seeker who'd heard about his encounter with Koichi. He turned around, making it clear that he did not want to talk further, but she sat down in the desk beside him.

"Here," she said, holding the thing in her hand out to him. "I heard you liked anpan," she explained, as he unwrapped the paper to find the dessert.

"I do, but how did you—"

"I have my sources," she said cutting off any further questions. "My name is Sayoko Yamada."

"I'm—"

"Megumi Hanajima, I already know. So, how much?"

He looked confused, "How much…what?"

"How much will it take for you to help me?"

"Help you?"

"Yeah, I need your help, so how much will it take?"

"It depends. What do you need my help with?"

She took a deep breath and said, "I know you can cast curses…can you remove them as well?"

The question hung in the air for a few moments.

"Do you need a curse removed?"

She nodded. He couldn't help wondering if this was a joke, but when he looked into her eyes he could tell she was being sincere.

"Well…" he said, wondering what he was getting himself into, "I have read a few things on removing them, but apparently the person who the curse effects must remove it, so I can't do it for you. And for you to able to remove curse, you must first know how to cast one. It can take years."

She chewed her lip. "I don't have years, by then it might be too late by then."

"Then, maybe—" he began.

"Please don't say no!" she cried desperately, "I'll work hard, I'll learn quickly, I'll do whatever it takes, just please…" she trailed off.

"I was going to say, we'll have to speed up the learning process. You'll learn the basics."

She smiled. "Thank you." She took his hand, "I'll work really hard." The place where she had touched left a tingling feeling on Megumi skin. "May I ask what kind of curse it is?"

Sayoko looked him, "Do I have to tell you that?"

"No, but it seems a bit unfair for me to be doing this and you won't even tell me."

"I tried paying you," she said shrugging. Then she smiled again. "Let's start tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Megumi hadn't expected it to be that quick, "uh…sure." Then a sudden realization came to him. What if Arisa or Saki saw him bringing some girl home, their would be no end to their taunting. Then again, they might be busy with wedding plans, so they'd be at the dojo.

"Definetly," he said. "It should be interesting to see how this turns out."


	6. Saki and Megumi

Saki stood in front of the mirror. She had never been one too be vain, and look at her self in the mirror for hours, but oh, how lovely the dress looked. It was long, and elegant. A deep purple that seemed to move as she did, fitting her body just right. It was beautiful. She was beautiful.

She had not wanted a simple white gown, this one was specially made for her. The moment she'd seen it, she'd known that this was it. Kazuma had surprised her with it, not long after they had started planning the wedding. _Kazuma_. She couldn't help but smile to herself when she remembered that she would be marrying him in no less than three weeks.

She heard someone behind her and turned around to see Megumi in the doorway. She smiled sheepishly.

"I was just admiring my dress."

"I can see. It's really pretty."

"Thanks."

Saki looked at her brother. She could feel how the wedding was affecting him. She could feel the sadness that he had, the feeling of being alone and helpless. And even though he did not like to talk about, she wished he would. She wished she could tell him how much she loved him. She remembered how he used to sleep with her when she was sick, and how he used to write her little notes to make her feel better. He couldn't spell very well, mind you, but it was the thought that counted. He had prayed for her, and became an outcast with her. Their bond was to deep to be thrown away, simply because she was getting married.

She wished she could tell him these things, but she knew it would only make it worse. Besides, she could sense that someone in the near future would be a source of comfort for him, she could not help.

"Arisa had an idea last time we spoke. She'd like you to be the ring bearer."

"Aren't ring bearers little kids?" He asked skeptically.

"Yes, but there wasn't much choice. None of us have any male relatives any younger than you. Please? It would really mean a lot."

Megumi sighed. "Fine, but if she takes any pictures…"

"She won't," Saki laughed. "Did you need something?"

"Yeah, are you going to be here tomorrow?"

"No, I'll be at the dojo every Saturday for the next two weeks. Didn't mom tell you?"

"You know mom."

"I suppose I shouldn't have even bothered asking her to tell you. Why do you want to know anyway?"

Megumi had not prepared himself for this. He hadn't expected her to want to know. "No reason," he said in a feeble attempt to get out of the conversation quickly. He retreated quickly knowing it was only a matter of seconds before Saki would be able to know the truth through her depna.

As he walked back to his own room, he wondered why he was trying so hard to keep this a secret. What was so strange? Someone had asked him for help, so he was giving it to them. It wasn't uncommon. Of course this person happened to be a girl. A pretty girl, he had to admit to himself, with beautiful eyes. _No, _he thought, _That's the last thing I need to focus on. I need to keep this relationship platonic..._

Anyway she was probably just using him to break this so called curse. Most likely she had a boyfriend all ready, and he was just some weirdo who she needed for her own personal gain. Why should it concern him. Why was he doing this at all.

_There's nothing better to do, _he told him self off handedly, _That's all._

But of course, he knew, he was lying.


	7. The Beginning

"Wow," I said, not quite sure what else to say. The house was completely…normal, even beautiful. The lawn was lush and green, and even had a garden with white and red roses. The house itself was white, the paint was not even chipped. The glass doors where stainless, the lace blue curtains where hung perfectly. The walk way was made up of gravel, each stone seemed just where it should be, and there was even a welcome mat on the fresh wooden porch.

"It's just a house," he commented, leading me inside.

It was just a house, but not the type I would have expected somebody like Megumi to live in. But maybe I was to quick to assume things. _I shouldn't act like those idiots at school, _I thought to myself, _he could be totally different from what everyone says he is._

He seemed anxious as we walked through the hall. He peered into each room of the empty house, making sure no one was home, it seemed like.

"Any reason you keep looking around?"

"No reason."

Another thing about Megumi, he doesn't like people interfering with his personal life. He could block people around him, and it made him seem untouchable. _Maybe, if this was a different time, a different place,_ I considered, _I would like very much to talk to him. To see what about him made him so untouchable. To tell him my secret._ But this wasn't the time nor place. I had a limited amount of time, I could feel it, and O had to learn quickly. I would do whatever it took. And unfortunately, that did not include getting any closer to Megumi Hanajima than I had too.

"Here's my room," he said. As I looked inside, I realized maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to judge, again.

The room had dark grey walls, black curtains fell over the windows instead of blue. Most of the furniture was as dark as the walls, the bedspread was pitch black. The walls where lined with bookshelves, each shelf filled with books on almost everything. The room was strange and beautiful all at the same time, and she felt warmer here than anywhere else in the house

Suddenly I figured out where the warmth was coming from. Megumi was starting a small fire in a strange metal tin.

"What are you doing?!"

"You want to learn right?"

"Yeah, but…are you sure we can do this?"  
"Are to backing out?"

"No! I just…"

"When you begin curses you have to let go of fear and hesitancy. That's the first rule."

I shut up. What was the point of arguing? I made a mental note of that rule, however. I have a pretty good memory, and I knew once I had learned it, I would remember it for a long time.

Finally he was able to start a small fire. He sprinkled whitish powder over the flames, making turn color from orange to blue. I watched mesmerized.

"Okay," he said quietly, "we're ready to begin."

We sat opposite each other the fire burning in the tin that lay between them.

"You have to get rid of all your fear when you're casting a curse. Learn to control them. You'll find that as you cast a curse, your worst memories return to you, and you won't be able too. Your greatest fear will play out in your mind, and you will have to repress them."

"But I can't even cast curses yet."

"That's what this is for," he pointed at the flames that where dancing furiously, "This is called pyriss Put your hand over it."

"What!"

"Just do it. You won't get hurt, I promise."

I gingerly held out her hand. I could feel the heat radiating from the fire, every nerve in my body was loudly protesting what I was about to do. And then a funny thing happen. I had prepared myself for the burning pain that had been expected, however when I knew my hand was in the flame, Ifelt nothing. It felt a bit tingly and electric, but besides that, it felt like empty air.

I opened my eyes which had been tightly shut, and stared at my hand. It was completely unharmed. No burns or even marks were on my skin.

"See, nothing happened" A voice said into my ear. I jumped, I had not noticed he had moved closer to me. He put his hand in the flame too, his fingers brushed against mine. The place he had touched left a tingling feeling on my skin.

Moving in slow rhythmic movements, Megumi began to pour a thick waxy substance over the fire. The small blue flames became a big white fire, engulfing my entire arm, but I still felt no pain.

"Quickly," he said, "Think of a fear."

I was completely unprepared for this. I wanted to get up and run out of this room, out of this house, back home. Yet, I wanted to stay and see what would happen.

_Just do it, _I thought. I breathed deeply and thought. And it was not very hard for all my fears to come pouring out…


	8. Lesson 1: Facing Fear

_The whole room was filled with a thick mist, she could see nothing except Megumi and a faint figure in the distance. The flames where gone. She stood up, and looked around._

"_From here I can't help you." Megumi said, "Remember, we can't leave until have seen this vision through. Keep following this road. It will be terrible and frightening, but you must not leave. There will be many easy ways out, but you must keep going until the end." He turned away, then looked back. _

_She nodded and took a brave step towards the figure. Megumi held back._

"_Be careful," he said softly, but she could not here him._

_As she came closer she could see it was a woman in a long shawl that covered her face completely. The woman turned around to face her._

"_Sayoko?"_

_That voice. She knew that voice. _

"_Mom?"_

_The woman came and embraced Sayoko._

"_Sayoko. I've missed you so much."_

"_Me too, mom." Tears streamed down her face. Her mother was here! How was this terrible? _

"_You must tell me everything that's happened now."_

"_I will! From the beginning."_

_Come stay with me."_

"_What?"_

"_Come. It will be perfect. You and me together."_

"_But your dead."_

_Her mom laughed. "Silly girl, just come with me!"_

_Her voice appeared light-hearted, but there was an undertone of urgency and impatience._

"_I don't think…"_

"_Just come!" she grabbed her arm. _

_And for the first time, Sayoko looked at her hands. They were not normal hands. They had no skin or meat. Simply thin white bones._

_Sayoko screamed._

"_Just come Sayoko," the voice was soothing again._

"_No! I can't, leave me alone."_

"_I'm your mother."_

_Sayoko stopped struggling. She remembered Mama. Sweet kind gentle Mama. When she lost her, it had been the most terrible day of Sayoko's life. Now here she was again. Giving her a second chance at being with her. Yes, her mother was not as lovely as she had once been. But still, If she kept her long clothes on, Sayoko would not actually have to look at the skeleton she believed to be underneath. She could stay and live here.  
"Come on sweetie, come with me."_

_Sayoko allowed herself to be lead away into the mist. But then she remembered. ". There will be many easy ways out, but you must keep going until the end._

_She stopped. She could not live here. She would be giving in, letting death take her like all her other family._

"_No." she slipped her hand out of her mother's bony grasp. She began walking back to the road. _

"_Come back!"_

_Sayoko did not turn back and look. She felt a rush of air behind her, and heard a soft crackling. Still she did not look, but if she had, she would have seen a pile of long robes covered in a white dust._

_She continued the path looking both left and right, making sure no one was there. And sure enough she saw someone._

_This lady she'd never seen before, but she knew who she was. She was tall and slender with thick long black hair and deep emerald eyes. Sayoko had wished many times to speak to this woman. She seemed to be waiting for Sayoko, for when she came, she called her by name._

"_Sayoko. Good to finally meet you."_

"_You as well." The two faced each other in silence. They had nothing to say. For what do you say to your murderer? Indeed, this was the woman who had cast the first spell that had sentenced her to death. The sorcerer's wife, the witch-woman._

"_It's funny, I've heard so much about you," Sayoko said in a quiet tone. "But I never learned your name."_

"_It is Kira. And you are Sayoko. You and your sister are the reason I am still not avenged." She came closer, Sayoko allowed her to stroke her cheek._

"_Lovely," she whispered "Such a lovely young woman."_

"_I don't think you ever will be avenged." Sayoko said strongly. "I don't plan to die any time soon."_

_Kira merely laughed. A cold laugh that seemed alien on such a beautiful woman. "My dear, I don't see as you have much of a choice about that." She leaned forward, and whispered, "You see, you are paying for his sins."_

"_But that isn't right!" Sayoko yelled. How could this woman be so cold and uncaring? She was going to die, and all she did was laugh! "I wasn't the one who sinned, It was some stupid farmer centuries ago! Why do I have to die?" Sayoko breathed heavily, tears once again brimming in her eyes._

_Kira's smile dropped off her face. Her face became hard, her eyes cold. She looked off into the distance._

"_I loved my husband so much." She said. "He was kind, calm, gentle, handsome…" she trailed off. She looked into Sayoko's eyes, sending a piercing cold shiver through her body. "He didn't deserve to die either."_

"_But I understand," Sayoko said the tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "I've lost everyone. My mom, my dad, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins…my brother. I know how it feels to lose someone close to you—"_

"_YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" Kira screamed, "You dare compare our lives. It is the fault of your stupid ancestors that you will die! Do not act like we are the same." Kira looked at her, wild-eyed. "God, you are so stupid. You think you can stop this curse. I'm more powerful than you are. You WILL die. You pathetic girl."_

"_I will not die—"_

"_Yes, you will." Kira said, regaining her calm cool demeanor. "You will surely die." She ran her fingers through Sayoko's hair. "It must be a terrible life you live. Knowing you will die. Why haven't you ended it?"_

"_I wanted to many times," Sayoko admitted, "But I couldn't."_

"_Chickened out? Felt the pain would be too much to bare?" She laughed again. _

"_No! I…" she could not finish._

"_Well, there is no pain here. There is only death." She pointed to the edge of the cliff they where standing on. "Go on, jump. She said, I'm sure it will be a relief for you. It'll certainly make my life easier."_

"_No. I think I'll pass." Sayoko walked away._

"_Why postpone the agony? Just get it over with!" Kira had to shout, for Sayoko was already quite far from her. But Sayoko did not respond._

"_She will die," Kira said to herself, "Eventually, they all will." And with that she disappeared into mist._

_Sayoko kept walking, until she saw something in the distance. Red light in the mist, almost like a light house. She broke into a run, for she knew this was the end, she could leave this hell. But what was that in front of the light? A graveyard._

_She ran a little faster, keeping her arms close to her sides. And so far, so good. Nothing was happening. Then she started looking at the grave stones. They all had one thing in common, she noticed. They all said Yamada._

_Ulrich Yamada, Riku Yamada, Mora Yamada, Chika Yamada, all her relatives._

_Then she saw it Ryu Yamada. She stopped. And perhaps if she had not stopped, it would not have happened. But it did. Slowly the dirt started shifting, until a cold grey hand pushed its way out. Then the arms, then the head, the body, and the feet. And there was Ryu, and yet he was not Ryu. He was not yet a skeleton, but a slowly rotting body, missing limbs, and eyes, and most of his skin and hair. The sickening sight made Sayoko wish she could look at her skeleton mother instead. _

_Sayoko looked at Ryu for a moment. He smiled, but it was not his smile. The teeth where yellow and many were missing, the gums a grayish brown. She could not stand to see anymore. She ran fast, headfirst into the red light. _

_Everything went out of focus. She was floating through nothingness in slow motion. And then, all of a sudden she was back in the warm little room where this whole journey had began._


	9. The Truth

There was something different about her, I thought. When she came in she seemed so innocent and happy. As I looked at her now, trembling on floor, she seemed so helpless and vulnerable. Except for her eyes. They used to be bright and young, but they seemed to have aged in years. They had the haunted look of person who had seen far to much.

"Are you okay?" was all I could think to say. It was obvious she was not. She was shaking and on the verge of tears. I wondered what she saw. I can't even remember what I saw the first time I tried it. But it couldn't have been as terrible as whatever she's seen.

She didn't say anything, she looked at me. Then she looked down.

"Do you want to know why I asked you to help? About my curse?"

I had to admit I was curious. But I chose my words carefully.

"Only if you think you can tell me."

"Something tells me I'll have too if I want to keep going. I'm going to need more…more of your help, and I guess you need to know..."

So she told me every detail. It did not take very long. Only 10 minutes or so. When she finished, she was crying harder than ever. I wanted to comfort her or hold her. But I couldn't. What if she pulled away?

"I think that's enough for today. I should probably go," she said finally standing up. I had not noticed how much time we had spent, and knew that Saki would be home in about 15 minutes, probably with Arisa and Tohru. But somehow I didn't want her too leave, I would have liked to talk to her more. Learn more about her. But I knew I would never get the chance.

She walked to the door, but turned as she was walking out.

"Megumi?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks. I mean…I guess it kinda seems like I'm using you but…I really am grateful for everything. I really do like you." She smiled.

I wasn't sure what she meant by "she liked me." Best not to ask.

She laughed, "Anyway, I just meant I think I'll keep you."

"Thanks, I feel so much better know."

She shook her head and walked out the door. I heard her footsteps walking down the stairs, the sound of the door opening and closing, and then she was gone.

And I couldn't help wondering how many hands-on lessons we would actually need. Before I thought only one or two, but, just to be sure, maybe three? Or four or five? It _was _a serious curse after all, and the more practice she got, the better she would be able to protect herself. That's the only reason we where here after all.

And again I knew I was lying. I had been doing a lot of that to myself lately. But I was not sure why…


	10. Maturity

"It's so beautiful Saki," Tohru breathed. She was gazing at Saki in her dress. Both she and Arisa wore matching gold brides-maids dresses, each with a white flower in there hair.

"It's nice, but can we get out of these things?" Arisa asked, impatiently, "I hate wearing stuff like this."

It was a Sunday afternoon, and they where all standing in a small bridal shop choosing what they would wear to the wedding.

Megumi came out of the nearest dressing room.

"No," he said simply to no one in particular.

"Aww," Arisa said, trying hard not to laugh, "But it looks so adorable!"

Megumi was wearing a white sailor's suit with black hems and three big black buttons.

"It's so cute!" she repeated behind guffaws.

"No," he said again, He walked right back into dressing room. "I knew you would laugh. I look like I'm three years old. If you make me wear this, I'll curse everyone in the wedding. Or I'll poison the cake, or something. No."

Saki smiled. "It's okay Megumi, you don't _have _to wear it. But I know Arisa so had her heart set on taking pictures."

Arisa only laughed harder. Megumi rolled his eyes and went back into the dressing room.

"You should have seen Kyo's face when we told him," Arisa said when she gained the control to talk again, "He was standing on a pole, or something, practicing kicks and Tohru screams, 'Kyo, guess what! Kazuma and Saki are getting married!'" she chuckled at the memory, "He totally lost it. He falls of the pole and rolls down the hill! It was hysterical!"

"And of course," Saki commented, "I'm sure you did everything in your power to help him."

"Of course."

"But Uo-chan, all you did was make fun of him."

"I know, that's helping in a way. He got over it eventually. Oh, by the way, Kureno's coming to the wedding as well. So is Haru and Yuki."

"So is Kyo coming, too?" Saki asked.

"Hell yeah! We'll bring him kicking and screaming if we have too, right Tohru?"

"Um…" Tohru began to say, but she did not have to finish, for at that moment Megumi came out of the dressing room again.

"Do you like it?" He asked, referring to the suit he had chosen. It was a sleek black on black suit, classy and sophisticated.

Arisa stared at him, as if seeing him for the first time. She couldn't remember ever noticing how much older Megumi looked. Yes, she thought, he was 16, but somehow her brain had never wanted to admit that he was all grown up. She always thought of him as that smart ass little 13 year old kid. He had always acted mature, but now his body was catching up to his mind. And now, as the realization hit her, hard, she was not quite sure what to make of it all.

For one thing he was so much taller than she remembered, more muscular. His eyes where softer and wiser. He had a small trace, but still visible, of facial hair. She wondered if he shaved. _When the hell did all this happen? _She wondered. _Was I asleep the whole time, or something?_

And by the way the others where looking at him, you could tell they where thinking the exact same thing.

"Well?" Megumi said. He wondered why they were all staring at him like.

"Yeah," Arisa managed to say, "It's a really cool suit, I'd buy it."

And as if that where some sort of wake up call, everyone seemed to snap out of there trances and come back to life.

"Okay…" Megumi said unsure of what had just happened. He returned to the dressing room. They all looked at each other, and they seemed to communicating wordlessly the same thing. But all that was said was things like

"I like it, it suits him." And, "He looks handsome in that."

Because what they really wanted to say, would finalize it. That little boy that they all knew and loved was partly gone replaced with well, a man. Well young man at any rate. And even though there was nothing wrong with it in particular, they all felt a small loss, somehow.

But no one ever said it.


	11. The Mistake

Christmas was soon approaching, but still We worked diligently. For weeks, Megumi and I spent our days reading all we could about curse removal. I learned the incantation for curses:

**I, **_**my name, **_**hereby curse, **_**the person's name, **_**for I know his/her fear, **_**the fear, **_**and will use it against him in punishment.**

Finally, on a Saturday afternoon, Megumi decided it was time for my second lesson. "Today, you're going to learn how to interpret others fears, by entering their mind. It will help, because knowing a fear can help make a curse more powerful." He picked up a small cage that has been lying precariously on his messy desk. Inside the cage was a small white mouse trying in vain to scurry away from Megumi's hands.

"There aren't any humans we can practice on," he said holding the mouse firmly but gently in his hands, "so we're using the most available mammal we have."

"Why does it have to be a mammal?" she asked out of interest.

"Mammals have a more dynamic brains and give us a bigger challenge than, say, a fish or a insect."

"But still, it's only a mouse, wouldn't a person be so much more challenging. What are mice afraid of? Just bigger animals if you think about it. People have so many other fears."

"Well, we don't have any other people."

"What about you?" As soon as I said it, I knew it was a mistake. His face became harder, he was all of a sudden rigid. "I don't think that's a good idea," he said, but his voice was hollow. He turned his back on her and began fiddling with the mouse.

"I'm sorry," I said. "That was a stupid thing to say." I knew Megumi didn't want anybody penetrating his mind.

He turned around, smiling slightly, and I knew she was forgiven. Still I wondered why he was always so defensive, always so closed. I really would have liked to have seen Megumi's mind. Was that creepy? Maybe. It's definetely not something I should be focusing on.

"Now think of the mouse, concentrate on it."

I tried.

"Soon, you will be inside it's mind. Find it's fear," he said. But I was concentrating on Megumi and his mind more than anything, and that's probably why it happened.

The room became black, and I expected to see the mouse's field of vision, but instead, I was seeing a girl. The girl was tall with black hair and grey eyes, and looked a bit like a female version of Megumi. Why would a mouse be thinking of a girl? What had happened. And that's when she realized.

_I'm not in the mouse's mind. I'm in…Megumi's._


	12. Lesson 2: Inside the Mind

_It was too late too go back. She could feel how deep inside Megumi's mind she was. What should she do? What could she do besides keep on going? That was probably the only way to get out right? See Megumi's fear? So, with no other options, she started walking aimlessly through the darkness. Soon she came to a door, a bright light shining behind it. _

_She opened it quickly, wanting to get whatever it was over with. And to her surprise Megumi was standing there. _

"_Megumi?" she said. "Megumi! I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to…" she stopped not sure how to go on. _

"_I know," he said. "You didn't do it on purpose. I shouldn't have been so near you while you where concentrating. It's my fault." He sighed. "But now you're in my mind. The way it works is you will see three memories. My memories. When you have seen them all, you will have to use them to figure out my fear, and you have to find my fear in order to leave."_

"_Couldn't you just, you know, tell me?" she smiled hopefully._

_He laughed, "Now if I did that, it would take the fun out of it."_

"_Right. Fun," she smile painfully. Then her face went serious again. "Megumi, whatever I see...I…I won't tell anybody about it, or anything. And I won't ask if it's too personal."_

_Megumi smiled, "Thanks." And then he was gone, and in front of her was a clear path, similar to the one in her previous journey. She started on the path. At least this would be easier than the last time, she thought, as she found another door, and opened it quickly. In the room she entered she saw a girl, a younger version of the girl she had seen when she'd first entered Megumi's mind. She is huddled on the ground shaking fiercely. _

"_She says she doesn't feel well," a man, probably her father, was saying to a woman, her mother. "She says she hears voices all around." He held a very small child in his arms. The child stares blankly around, knowing something is wrong. She recognized him immediately as Megumi. Another woman, her grandmother, widened her eyes. _

"_Voices," she repeats, "Then that must mean…Quickly, we must go back home." She takes the little girl by the arm and gently leads her away, the rest of the family following. The scene quickly changed to a small living room. The 3 adults sat on couches sipping coffee. The Grandmother sighed, sipped her coffee and said, "Saki has inherited a power that has been in our family for generations. Though," she said thoughtfully, "It hasn't appeared in over a century. She can read peoples electrical wave signals." The mother gasped._

"_You mean she's a mind reader?" _

_The older woman sighed patiently. "No, dear. She can read electrical waves. I'll admit it's similar, but not the same as mind reading. Everyone gives off this sort of…sort of aura," she said, trying to put in the simplest way as possible, though she wasn't happy with how it sounded. "This aura tells all kinds of things about you. Your type of person you are, your feelings, that type of thing. Usually no one notices these things, but sometimes," she sighed, "Sometimes there are people who can read them and feel them. And it can be painful to them. Saki is one of those people. Saki seems to the only person in our entire immediate family to have it."_

_The mother's face seemed lost and confused. "Can't we take her to the hospital?" But even she seemed to find this the a ludicrous idea. "Of course we can't take her to the hospital. Doing that would make her more…" she trailed off. _

"_But I'm really worried about Saki's future. Normal people don't have this ability. Why should she have to be the one too suffer that kind of pain?" She looked away, then looked back. "And other people? They won't understand this ability. Even if she was born with it, it must frustrate her that nothing can be done about it."_

_The scene changed again. The two children, Megumi where shown in the bedroom. Saki was laying listlessly in the bed, Megumi, standing on tip toe, hovering over her. _

"_Saki, are you sick?" He asked in a small voice._ _She smiled and took his hand._

"_No, but I'm not well either." He screwed up his face, trying to figure out how it was possible to be sick yet not well. All of a sudden, his face relaxed. "It's okay." He said matter-of-factly, as if just saying it would make it so. Then he kissed her on the cheek. "I love you Saki."_

_And she was outside the door once again. She smiled, the memory was sweet and sad all at the same time. Saki must be his infamous sister she'd heard so much about. But know she wanted to kill the people who had called her a witch and a demon. Because she had seen the beginning of what would be a terrible road for an innocent girl. And she wished that all those people Saki would meet, wouldn't have made her life so hellish. But she could not change the past, she could only move forward. And so she did._

_The next door was easier to open, for she knew what to expect when Megumi's second memory began._

_Megumi, who was a bit older but still a young child, was sitting on the porch reading a large old book. Sayoko recognized the book to be _**The Ancient Book of Curses**, _for she too had perused over it several times in Megumi's room. Saki came outside and joined Megumi. She glanced at the title of the book he was reading. _

"_Megumi, you're still reading that book?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice, "You'll end up scaring mom."_ _Megumi closed the book and looked at her. "Grandma said it might help with your ability so she bought a lot." He smiled, showing his top front teeth were missing, "And it's very interesting!" Saki looked down at her hands. "You shouldn't say that," she said softly, "People will bully you at school to if you say things like that." Megumi stopped grinning. "Don't worry, I'm better at dealing with people like that than you." He stared at her, though she was fixedly staring at her hands, trying not to catch his eye._

"_But Saki," he said anyway, "Why don't you ever say anything? Him getting hurt…that wasn't Saki's fault. Their bullying you. Why do you just take it? Do you really believe that's what you deserve?"_

_She was silent for a long time. Then she said, "Even if the police didn't catch me and take me to jail, there should be some kind of punishment," she looked at him finally, "And so it's only natural that I'm being punished."_

_His eyebrows furrowed. "To Saki, other people only exist to watch you be punished. Aren't they good for anything else? Do you plan to go through the rest of your life like this?" His face relaxed, he looked sad, but determined now. "If that's the case, then I'll pray for you. Because you can't spend the rest of your life like this! In this world, filled with so many people, Somewhere out there, There has to be someone who Saki will find to treasure her the way she is. There just has to be! So please, If you're out there, listen to me. If you're in another country, please get on a plane and hurry! And if possible appear, right in front of Saki. Please."_

_Again she found herself outside the door. Only one left, she thought as she continued forward. The next memory did not begin with Saki as the other two had but with a different man. The man was tall and somewhat handsome. He was dressed in traditional Japanese clothes. His hair was a silvery grey and was tied back in a ponytail. He was standing in the door way of Megumi's home. "Hello," he was saying to Megumi, who was now about 13 "I am Kazuma Sohma. You must be Megumi," he smiled and held out his hand. They shook. "Is Saki home?" Megumi looked up at Kazuma. So this was the man that was going to take Saki away, Megumi thought. Sayoko jumped. He had not realized she could hear Megumi's thoughts. _

"_Yeah, um…just a moment." He ran quickly up the staircase. Saki, who was now at least 17, was carrying a large suitcase._

"_He's here," Megumi said simply. She's really leaving, he thought. Saki stopped. She dropped her suitcase and pulled her little brother into her arms. "Megumi," she said, "I'll miss you." _

_Megumi smiled, "me too." _

"_I'm walking distance, you know. Kazuma's dojo isn't far at all. Come visit me, okay?"_

"_Every week."_

"_Okay." She kissed him on the forehead picked up the suit case and hurried downstairs. The man, Kazuma, smiled. He pulled her too him, kissed her quickly, and lead her out the door._

"_She's gone." Megumi said to himself._

_The scene changed to a living room again. Saki, Megumi, and two other girls were in the room._

"_So," a tall blonde girl was saying, "What did you want to tell us?" _

_Saki took a painfully slow sip of tea. She paused, and took another sip._

"_C'mon! just say it already!" The girl grabbed the cup away from her. Saki smiled mischievously. "Well, as you know, I'm living with Kazuma now."_

"_Uh huh."_

"_And things have been going very well."_

"_Right."_

"_So we've decided…" she looked around at everyone in turn._

"_Could you get to the point?" the girl said irritably. _

"_Yes, Hana-chan, what have you decided to do?" the other smaller girl with dark brown hair and kind eyes asked._

"_We're getting married."_

_Silence._

"_Does anyone want snacks?" she asked rising to go to the kitchen. The blonde girl grabbed her arm and pulled her back, _

"_What do you mean!?" _

"_Snacks? Aren't you hungry?"  
"Forget the damn snacks! Your getting married!?"_

"_I already said that."_

_She simply looked at her as if she'd grown an second head. _

"_Hana-chan! That's great!" the dark haired one said, hugging her again. "Can I be a Bride's Maid?"_

"_Your both Maids of Honor." _

_The blonde finally regained the ability to speak. "I thought there could only one Maid of Honor."_

"_Well, it really won't be a traditional wedding. We're having it at the dojo. I already have my dress picked out. You have to come to the dojo to see everything."_

"_Well Megumi?" the dark haired one said, smiling, "Your big sister's getting married? What do you think?" _

"_I knew this would happen." He said simply. _

"_How can be so calm? I can't even believe it!"_

_Sayoko could fell Megumi was far from calm. This would mean Saki would come by less. She had Kazuma, why would she still come back? He couldn't hate Kazuma, because he had prayed for him. He truly loved Saki. He couldn't hate Saki, she was doing what would make her happiest. All He could do is hate myself for being so selfish and jealous. _

"_Hey, does Kyo know yet?" The blonde asked, and evil smile spreading across her face._

"_I don't believe so." _

"_Tohru, lets go find him, I gotta see the look on his face when he hears this! See ya tomorrow, okay the two left._

_He looked away from Saki. He wondered if she knew how I truly felt._

"_Megumi?"_

_No answer._

"_Megumi. I just want you to know. Even if I get married, It won't change anything between us. I still love you." She came and hugged him. _

"_I know," Megumi said, "But still, I…" He trailed off not knowing how to say what he wanted to. She seemed to understand anyway. She held him and he could only pray that she was telling the truth._

_And then that memory ended. How would those memories tell him his fear she wondered, as she stared blankly at the third door. _

_Once again, Megumi appeared in front of me. He was not looking at her. "So," he said, "What's…my fear?"_

_She thought about it. The person he was closest the person he loved more than anyone else was Saki. And Saki was leaving him…_

_Sayoko sighed, knowing what she must say. "Megumi, you're biggest fear is…is…" she stopped, breathed deeply then continued, "For your sister Saki to leave you behind." Suddenly there was a flash, a crack, and, as she had predicted, she was back where the journey had begun._


	13. Megumi's Interrogation

She opened her eye a crack, then all the way, sure she was finally back in his room. She looked around, and saw him. He was cleaning up the crystal ball, which had fallen to the floor, his back turned to her, resolutely not looking at her. She waited for him to finish, but when he did he still did not look at her.

"Megumi, are you angry?" She said finally. He looked at her then, a surprised expression on his face.

"No, of course not, why would you think that?"

"Well…I know your fear now…" She looked down. "And you…didn't want anyone to know, did you?"

"You're right," Megumi said, taken aback at her reaction, "But I'm not mad at you, it was an accident, right?"

Sayoko still didn't look at him. She stared out the window at the snow falling lightly outside.

"You really love your sister." She didn't seem to find it silly, as he feared she would. She was smiling slightly.

"Yeah. I do."

"I don't think that you should be scared of your sister leaving you," she said calmly, "She loves you far too much. She wouldn't leave you for anybody."

Megumi nodded. He already knew that, but he had needed somebody besides Saki to tell him.

"Thanks."

"It's okay. By the way, here," she handed him a piece of paper with her name on the front.

"What's this?"

"It's my number. I'm going away for the Christmas holidays, so…if you need to tell me something I'll be in reach." She smiled, "See you." And with that she left.

Megumi felt the heat creeping up his neck as an uncontrollable blush appeared on his face. So, now he had her number. What did that mean? He shook his head. Nothing. It meant nothing. She was going away, therefore she had to give his number. Obviously. So why was he feeling so strangely? Why was he so hot so breathless? He shook it off, and decided not to think about anymore.

He turned to the window, and was suddenly filled with dread. Sayoko was walking out the door and up the driveway. That was not what panicked him. No, it was the white car that had parked outside the driveway. The white car Arisa had gotten for her 21st birthday. And Arisa was coming out of it. And Sayoko was walking right towards her smiling amiably.

Megumi closed his eyes and groaned. Why him? Why today? He opened the window, hiding behind the curtain so as not to be seen. From there he could here everything.

"Hey," Arisa was the first to speak. "Are you lost, or something?"

"No, I was her to see Megumi."

Silence.

"Megumi…Hanjima?"

"Yeah."

"Tall, black hair, slightly insane? That Megumi?"

He heard Sayoko laugh. "Yep, that's the one."

"Oh, well, I'm Arisa, and this is Saki, his sister, and Tohru."

"Hi! I'm Sayoko. Well, I have to go, I have to be at the airport by 6:00."

"Bye!" said Tohru. He waited a few seconds, then heard,

"Hey you guys, was that a…girl?"

That was it. He was completely screwed. He couldn't go back down there not with Arisa. He'd never live this down, not in a million years. He couldn't explain how she was not that kind of girl. The kind of girl you brought home from school and then…He covered his face with his hands.

After an hour, he realized how dumb he had been to think that he could have kept Sayoko a secret. And he was also dumb for thinking he could stay up in his room until they had left. His stomach rumbled pitifully. They wouldn't leave until 1 in the morning at this rate, he thought miserably. Maybe if he could run down stairs quickly, grab a bag of chips or something, and run back upstairs? Yeah, that just might work!

It didn't work.

"Hey Megumi," Arisa said, grinning widely. She reminded him of a spider, who had been waiting a long time for a fly to come wafting into her web, and had finally been obliged. "Have a seat." He wanted to run, but she grabbed him firmly by the arm, and yanked him forcefully onto the nearest seat.

He was trapped, and he prepared himself, mentally, for what was coming.

"So, Megumi," Arisa said in a nonchalant voice, "How's everything going?"

"Fine." He was not going to let her know any more than he had too. He noticed Saki and Tohru where trying to act like they where not listening, but they seemed a little too interested in bridal magazines than was necessary. He picked up the largest magazine he could find and opened it. Atleast there was something to hide behind.

"Make any new friends?"

"Not in particular."

"Really? Cause I met a girl today who said she knew you. She was coming out of the house."

"I know." He sunk behind his magazine

He felt the magazine being thrust out of his hands. Arisa was looking at him a smirk on her face. "Come on," she said, "No more playing around, who is that girl? Sayoko?"

"She's…a friend."

"A friend, eh. What kind of friend? A friend or a _friend?" _she said, putting emphasis on the last friend.

"Huh?"

I bet you have her number, don't you?"

No answer.

"You do have her number! Aww, how sweet! First love!"

"What? You're insane!" Megumi cried, trying to get his magazine back. Arisa jumped on the couch barely out of his reach.

"Megumi, that was your girlfriend wasn't it?" she said laughing now, holding the magazine above his head. He, however was far from thinking this was funny. He felt the familiar heat on his face.

"No, she's not!" He said grabbing for the magazine. "I told you she's a friend, I'm just helping her with some stuff."

"Megumi and Sayoko," Arisa began to chant, "Sitting in a tree…"

"You're so immature," he said, jumping for the magazine that was still out of reach.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G," she was laughing hysterically now.

"First comes love."

"Arisa, stop it!"

"Then comes—"

"She's _not _my girlfriend." His face was so hot, he was sure it was extremely red too, and he probably looked like a complete idiot. Finally he got the magazine back from her, and stalked back up the stairs, breathing heavily. Arisa smiled. She remembered Megumi, a little kid who used to spend hours in his room reading book after book. Now he had a girlfriend.

"Hey," she said, "I know you guys where listening."

"Uo, that was kind of mean," Tohru said defensively. "That might have not even been his girlfriend."

"Oh, come on," Arisa said, rolling her eyes at Tohru's naivity, "Have you ever seen him get that over excited before? And so defensive? He's in love!" She began to snicker again.

"I agree."

Everyone turned to Saki, who had been silent up until then.

"He's never been that way. And his electrical signal was…slightly more…" she paused thinking of a good word, "lighter, more care-free than usual."

"Ha! Told you." Arisa stopped snickering then.

"You really think he…likes this girl?" Tohru asked.

"Yes. I could feel it. Though I also feel that he is constantly denying it, even to himself."

Everyone thought then. Megumi and a girl. Somehow it seemed an alien idea. Strange and wrong in their minds. And once again they all felt that strange loss. The idea that little Megumi was no more. And nobody really wanted to think about that.

Two weeks later, taking a deep breath, Megumi picked up his cell phone, smoothed out the paper with Sayoko's number and began to dial.

_361-994-2785_

I heard three rings and then

"Hello?"

"Yeah, Sayoko? This is Megumi."

"Oh, hey."

"School's tomorrow."

"Thanks for the news flash."

"I mean, tomorrow is the final lesson."

Silence on the other end.

"Sayoko?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you ready?"

"No, but I…don't think I have much of a choice. I can feel the curse is going to affect Misaki and I very soon."

"Should I tell you what it is?"

"Go ahead."

"You'll be casting your first curse…"


	14. The Final Lesson

We drudged through the melting snow, Sayoko and I, neither on of us saying anything to the other. But we where thinking the exact same thing. What if she could not do it? What if the curse could not work? What if she failed? What if?

We reached the large brick building of Kaibara High School. She stopped. I stopped.

"If this works," Sayoko began to say.

"When this works," I corrected her.

She smiled weakly, "Right, when this works…will I, be able to break the curse?"

"According to the books, once you can cast curse, you can break them just as easily."

She nodded, smiled a bit more strongly, and took longer strides into the school.

"So who should I curse?" She asked, looking around hesitantly. Before I could decide, my decision was made for me.

"Hey freak!" a voice called behind me. Koichi. He was alone now.

"Hey, I just wanted you too know," he said, "I figured it out. That whole curse thing you did."

"Bravo," I retorted, "You surprise me. I didn't think you had the brains to figure out 1+1, let alone the art of curses. So, do tell, how did I do it?"

Sayoko stifled a laugh, and I couldn't help but swell with pride a little.

He was sneering, his eyes, triumphant.

"_You _didn't do anything," he said, "You just psyched me."

"Psyched you?"

"Yeah. You told me all that crap about you being a curse master or whatever, and then I believed you, and my brain played tricks on me. I didn't actually hear voices, and those accidents where just coincidences. I just thought there was some kind of curse." He laughed. "You're just a freak with no power after all." He laughed stupidly, walking away in what he seemed to think a dignified manner.

"I think that answers our question for us." I said.

"Okay," she said breathing deeply. I could tell she was nervous.

"Remember," I said, "focus on his mind. It might not be a very big target but…" she laughed again. "Shut up, your distracting me."

She breathed again, closed her eyes and seemed to be focusing…


	15. The Outcome

_Focus, I tell my self. I look straight at Koichi. Remember being inside Megumi's mind. Suddenly there was darkness and she was at a door. She must be inside Koichi's mind. She opened the door confidently, knowing what to do. And so began the first memory._

_She was in a small school playground, though it wasn't very large. "Koichi, you're the best . That's so cool." A scrawny teenage boy was saying to a young Koichi. He gestured at a boy who lay unconscious on the ground. "Hit somebody else."_

"_Sure," Koichi said. "Hey Kashi!" A small thin boy with glasses turned at the sound of his name, and the fear in his eyes._

"_Ye-Yeah?"_

"_Come over here."_

_The hit was hard and ruthless, and soon Kashi joined the unconscious boy on ground._

"_Classic," The older boy grinned. "You know Koichi, You could go places. I should know, I was once you when I was a young boy." He grins. "Yeah, Mizuro," Koichi joked, "But you, unlike me, have repeated the fourth grade 5 times."_

"_Hey, who needs school? Hasn't done a damn thing for me." Mizuro pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and handed one to Koichi._

"_Yeah," Koichi whispered to himself, as he took a cigarette, but did not light it, "I'm going places."_

_The memory ended, on to the second. _

_Koichi was a few years older. He was standing in a middle school gym, punching a guy I the face, surrounded by crowds of cheering people. _

"_Well," a man, the coach said after the guy had fallen, "You've definitely got a shot on our wrestling team. Koichi, was it? Koichi. A fighting name." The couch became lost in thought. _

_Mizuro, now looking about 17, broke through the crowd of people. "Hey! You where great out there!" The two friends punched knuckles. _

"_Thanks, but I would have never gotten this far if it wasn't for you. I'll do anything for you in return you in return!" Koichi grinned and walked away to his crowd of adoring fans._

"_Anything," smiled Mizuro, "I'll be sure to remember that."_

_The second memory was the shortest yet, she thought, as she reached the third door, starting the the final memory._

"_Hey," Mizuro greeted Koichi, now looking a about a year younger than he was now._

"_Hey," Koichi. They punched knuckles, but not with the same friendliness as before._

"_I need to ask you something."_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Me and this friend have a, slight business venture. But there's an obstacle. We where going to sell some drugs to some kids at school, and our suppliers have become all self righteous all of a sudden. The say they won't give us any more supplies, it's wrong, or some shit." He spat on the ground. _

"_You're selling drugs?"_

"_I dabble."_

_Koichi didn't say anything. He looked at his feet, kicking a pebble distractedly._

"_So what does this have to do with me?" He said finally._

"_I want you to…take care of them, for me, if you know what I mean."_

"_What?"_

"_You know."_

"_I can't, do that. These guys are how old?"_

"_20, 21. Doesn't matter, you're bigger."_

"_I've never hit random people I don't now. Aren't I kind of your…hit man or something?"_

"_Nobody's going to get killed. Just roughed around a bit. Just to show them we mean business."_

"_I can't."_

"_You don't have a choice. Remember what you said? You'd do anything. I brought you all the glory, friends, and popularity. No you're going to chicken out? Well, I can just as easily take all those things away. You'd be nobody without me."_

_The third memory ended, and she continued even farther. _

"_His fear is simple," I mumbled to herself, "He's afraid of losing all his glory and popularity. All I have to do know is play upon that fear."_

_She remembered the countless studies of curses she'd read. She spoke in a clear voice, like I had read and rehersed so many times before:_

"_**I, Sayoko Yamada, Hereby curse Koichi Utugawa, for now I know his fear, Losing his glory, and will use it against him as his punishment."**_

"_Are you really sure you should be dwelling in curses, Sayoko?" A voice from behind me said._

_Kira._

"_I didn't expect you to go this far." She said airily. "But it will do you know good, you know? In the end you will die."_

"_Shut up."_

"_Like you mother," she waved her hand and mother's skeletal figure appeared, "Your father," she waved again and another skeleton appeared, slightly bigger than the first, "Your brother," another wave, another skeleton, "And let's not forget the other thousands of you that I have taken. And suddenly the darkness cleared, and they where in the graveyard again. "Shut up!"_

"_You too will die."_

_I closed her eyes. I breathed. __**She could not die. She would not die. She had strength, and her knowledge on her side. She had support. She had Megumi. She would not die. She could face her fear.**_

_And then they where gone. There was a flash of bright light, and she was back at school, Megumi's hand on my shaking shoulder. No time had passed. What had seemed about an hour to me, had passed in a second._

"_You okay?"_

"_Yeah, I think."_

"_So know you're ready to remove your curse."_

"_So, Did it work?"_

"_Yes."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_I know."_

_And he was right._


	16. Saki and Kazuma

Saki lay in Kazuma's arms, her head resting on his chest. She could hear his heart beating, feel his breathing. Everything that had happened to her was so dream like, she wanted to pinch him to see if he was real, and hold on to him so, if it was a dream, she couldn't wake up.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked in his deep calm voice.

"Us."

"Me too."

"I…I'm really happy," she said smiling.

"I know, that's why I'm happy."

She could feel the words vibrating inside him. Ever since this wedding she had not had two seconds alone with him, so this little period of time they had together was so precious to her. Her mother had gone to the flower shop for some special flower she was 100 sure they needed. Apparently, there was absolutely no way this wedding could take place with out this particular flower. Saki couldn't even remember what the stupid flower's name was, nor did she care. If it got her mother off their backs for a while, she was content.

Her mother had been a little more than over excited when Saki announced her marriage plans to her parents. While her father and grandmother calmly expressed there congratulations, her mother was nearly bouncing off her seat.

"Oh my gosh!" She had cried, flinging her slender arms around Saki, "My sweet baby angel's getting married! Oh! I'm so happy for you! And don't you worry about a thing, I promise, Mommy will take care of everything. There's so much to do, so much to plan!"

And at the time, Saki was glad that her mother would be taking part in her wedding. But then…

"Okay," she said, when she started planning, "I have a great idea! Picture this," she spread her hands out in front of her and began, "I got a really large church at the end of town. Now, when you enter the church, the Grand Orchestra will began to play. You will walk down the aisle on the velvet red carpet, then the Orchestra will slowly but surely stop playing. You'll say your vows, and the orchestra begins again." _Okay, _Saki had thought to herself, _so far it sounds normal. Maybe mom will actually plan something nice and calm. _When her mother said her next statement, she was proven abysmally wrong.

"When you leave the church for reception, the swans and doves will be released!"

"Swans?" Saki groaned.

"Doves?" Kazuma added.

"Yes, there trained. There going to escort you to the reception area along with the gypsy dancers—"

"What?"

"Yes! Because the gypsy dancers are part of the traveling circus I've hired."

"Circus?"

"The swans and the doves fly gracefully back to the ground as soon as we arrive to the reception at the park. The circus will greet us warmly with a show. Fire swallowers, jugglers, tight rope walkers, and more!"

Saki was sure her mother was on the brink of insanity.

"Food will be served after the elephant show!"

And that was when Saki truly knew she was on the road to disaster.

"Hey," she said after a while.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry about my mom. I know she can be really…excited sometimes, but she means well."

Kazuma laughed. "I know. She sort of reminds of my mother. And she has planned most of our wedding. Actually, I think we owe her in a way."

"Don't tell her that," Saki laughed.

"Did your brother agree to be the ring bearer?"

"Yeah, he did." She was silent then, as she had been whenever she was forced to think of Megumi these days. After while Kazuma asked,

"What's wrong Saki?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me. You can tell me anything. I'm your husband."

The words made her feel breathless, and she decided to tell him what was on her mind.

"It's…Megumi. He was with a girl last week."

"Really? Well, why is that a problem?"

"He really likes her."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No…" Saki bit her lip trying to put how she felt into words. "I…He's so grown up now."

"Isn't he 16?"

Saki laughed at this. He was adorable when he was so clueless. "I mean, he's not little Megumi anymore. The little boy that used to light up my world is gone. He still lights up my world, I still love him to death. But…we used to be dependent on each other. And now…" she trailed off.

"That dependence is gone. And you're a little scared that without that need for one another, you will grow apart."

Surprised she looked at him.

"That's the way I feel about Kyo sometimes."

"So you understand?"

"Fully and completely. What you have to understand is, you have relationships with people who are young, that are completely dependent. Children always need an older figure to talk too, to look up too, and too be comforted by. But as they get older, they stop talking, aren't as interested in authority, and comfort themselves. But even though that dependence is gone, it is replaced with a sense of respect and gratefulness. It may not be the same, but it's just as good, maybe better."

"But, he's so scared. I can feel it. He hates having to let me go."

"He's not letting you go."

"I know, but I can't make him understand that. This girl. Sayoko. She is the only one he can seem to talk too. I can feel that in the few months they've been together they already share a deep everlasting bond."

"You and him aren't that different then. Both are afraid of losing one to another. But you will never lose each other. I know it."

Saki smiled. She felt better. Much better after speaking to Kazuma.

"And as for this girl," he said, a slight smile appearing on his face as well, "The fact that he likes a girl shouldn't be surprising, should it? And, as you say, if this girl can help him, I don't think you should fear her taking him from you. As he should not fear me taking you from him." He kissed her lightly on her forehead.

"Thank you, Kazuma," she said softly, as she kissed him on his lips.

That's when the car horn blew.

"Hey, you two!" Saki's mother practically screamed from the car, "Save it for the wedding!"

_Why do I even bother? _Saki thought miserably.


	17. The Curse Breaks

_Megumi's room was dark, except for the candlelight that burned in the candles surrounding two hooded figures._

"_Why do we have to wear black?" Asked Sayoko, pulling the strap that was falling off her shoulder for the hundredth time back in it's place. The dress was not her's, it was Saki's. Megumi had borrowed it for her for the occasion._

_Megumi was in a black T-shirt and Jeans. He like her, also wore a black hood. _

"_Because," he said, "Mystical operations always require people to wear black." He said, as if it were the most matter-of-fact thing in the world. _

"_Whatever," she said._

"_Or…"_

"_Or what?"_

_He grinned mischievously, "Or maybe I just wanted to see you in that dress."_

"_You…You're a freak." Although she knew was joking, she still blushed deep red._

"_I've been told."_

"_Let's just get this over with."_

_He nodded. He sprayed a strange blue powder on each flame, and each flame in turn turned a the same bright white as before. As each flame changed it's color, it would touch another flame, and then that flame would touch the next, until a ring of white fire formed around them. It swirled and grew until the whole room was completely white._

"_Are we here?" she asked._

"_Yes." He took a small piece of yellowed old paper from his pocket and handed it to her. "These are the incantations and procedures to the removal. Just incase. You can't forget anything, not one single step. Everything must go perfectly." He put the paper in her open palm, gently, ignoring the sensation he felt when there hands met._

"_Can you come with me?"_

"_No."_

_She smiled. "I thought as much." She didn't say anything, but just looked at him._

"_Megumi. I just want you to know…I'm really glad I met you. And this whole thing we've been through, this crazy trip, I wouldn't change it. Thank you."_

_She flung her arms around his neck for the briefest moment, then turned and began her final journey into the cursing realm._

_The first person she met, was not someone she'd expected to see. Ryu. He was now fully decayed, a complete skeleton under his robe. He extended his hand to touch her face._

"_Sayoko." He whispered. "I hoped we could meet again."_

_His fingers felt cold and harsh against her skin. She was relieved when his moved his hands away. She knew it was best to keep moving as quickly as possible. But this was Ryu. Ryu who she had missed so desperately in the past few months. Ryu who she might never see again. This was her last chance to speak to him._

"_Ryu," she began. She stopped, tried to begin again, then stopped again. Words failed her, she could not speak to him, a skeleton, a mere shadow of what he had once been. _

"_I've missed you," Ryu said, "You and Misaki. I've missed you so much."_

_She felt the burning tears before she could stop them. She hoped that he did not try to convince her to stay with him, like her mother had. For she knew if he did, she would have no power but to oblige. She could not bear the pain that was eating her from the inside. She had to get away. Had to leave him behind. _

"_I love you, Ryu." She said, brushing the tears away. "I miss you, too but I can't…" she couldn't finish. She took his bony hand, squeezed it for comfort, and broke into a run. Everything was so blurry. She was lost and scared. But she knew where she had to go._

_Her pace slowed, her breathing calmed. She walked towards the place she hated most. The Yamada Graveyard._

_It seemed even mistier than before. Her heart beat sped up, her breathing quickened again as she saw the familiar tomb stones aligned in the damp earth, the thin winding gravel path, and the painful ache in her chest. And though she was scared, though she was lonely and sad, she was not helpless or lost. She knew what to do. She had played this scene in her mind at least a million times, and now she was actually doing it. She followed the path into the center of the grave yard. She sat down on the ground, crossed her legs and began concentrating hard. _

_She recited the counter jinx in her head a few times before starting:_

I ,Sayoko, hereby remove the Yamada curse from my body, and the bodies of my family and descendants. With this power I will rid my body of the evils within it, and can live my life freely without despair.

_She took a deep shaking breath and said the words allowed. This was it! The end of the curse. No more living with a fearful shadow over her head. No more sleepless nights, no more nightmares._

"_I, Sayoko, hereby—"_

"_So, you actually made it this far," a cold voice drawled from the shadows. Sayoko quickly turned her head. _

_Kira._

"_I had hoped," she said, striding out of the shadows, "That you would have stopped this foolish quest." She laughed, "I suppose you're are more stupid than a thought." Her green eyes flashed. "I hope you realize this will never work. No small spell can undo my powerful curses." She brushed her long black hair behind her, no circling Sayoko like a vulture. "Don't you see? You can't win." The words hit Sayoko like sharp blades. She closed her eyes in concentration, and began again._

"_I , Sayoko,"_

"_This is pointless don't you see?" Kira's cold laugh was still ever present, but the gloating smirk she had been wearing on her pale face was gone._

"_Hereby remove the Yamada curse,"_

"_This is a waste of time!"_

"_From my body and the bodies of my family and my descendants,"_

"_Stop this, you stupid girl!" Kira was furious. Pain was beginning to spread over her face._

"_With this power I will rid my body of all evils within it," _

_Kira screamed. A scream of anger and pain. A scream of sadness and mourning. A scream of regret and self disgust. The scream was the most terrible thing Sayoko had ever heard. The scream echoed through the graveyard, and birds in the nearby trees fled. But not the less, Sayoko finished._

"_And can live freely without dispair."_

_At first there was utter silence. Then Kira screamed again, a louder, even more terrible scream than before. Her skin was cracking, as if something was trying to release itself from her body. A golden light was from inside her was burning her from inside in an attempt to get out, until finally Kira shattered like a china doll, the light pouring our. It passed over the ground and tomb stones. It touched Sayoko, but it did not hurt. She hadn't expected it too. The light gave her a completed feeling. It was all over. Just like that. And suddenly she was back in Megumi's room._

_And she couldn't think of a more beautiful person in the world. Megumi. He was so kind and sweet behind the mask her wore. She was surprised to find tears in her eyes. She was sobbing uncontrolably all of a sudden. She collapsed onto the floor, the strap of her dress sliding off her shoulder again. But she didn't care. She felt a large warmth around her shaking body. And at that moment, she loved Megumi more than anyone. More than her sister. More than life itself. And she wanted to stay in his arms forever. And so that night they fell asleep in eachother's embrace._


	18. Dawn

Saki walked up the stairs to Megumi's. Last night she had spent at Kazuma's dojo. Last night she'd lost her virginity. All she felt like doing was smiling. She wanted to tell Megumi. Not in detail. Just so he would know. She used to tell him everything. She still did.

She knocked softly on the bedroom door. No answer. She knocked again. Again no answer. He must be still asleep, she thought, and opened the door and then she saw them.

They where asleep. He had his arms wrapped warmly around her body, she had her head and hands pressed softly against his chest. Both where breathing deeply. Both seemed content and peaceful.

At first, Saki thought…well the same thoughts you would think if you saw that to people had apparently slept together in the same room all night. But then she thought again. _No, _she thought, _nothing happened with them last night. _

For one thing they had there clothes on, and it looked as if they had been that way all night. But it wasn't only that. It seemed that the two where truly happy, just laying in each other's arms. Not fooling around, like many couples there age would be doing. But just being, feeling one another's warmth. And she let them be.

So Saki closed the door behind her quietly, not wanting to disturb them. She smiled slightly, and walked to the kitchen for breakfast.


	19. The Call

As the wedding date drew closer and closer, things at home got more hectic. Mom ran around the house like a basket case all the time, barely stopping to eat or sleep. Arisa, Saki and Tohru were always here now. The dojo had been set up beautifully. And life seemed perfect.

But it wasn't.

Since the morning Sayoko left, the morning after her curse had been broken she had disappeared off the face of the earth. She had not called, she had not visited. She had not even come to school. I caught myself doubting that the spells had not worked. That she was…but I quickly pushed the doubts out of my mind. Of course they had worked. It had to. But still…

Soon two weeks became one, and one week became 3, 3 became 1, and finally the night before the wedding arrived. The wedding rehearsal. The dojo was decorated perfectly in an array of many different vivid flowers. The orchestra, who had been practicing for weeks, sounded beautiful, and everyone knew there places.

As everyone gathered at the church that night, I tried remembering the line up. First to come was Arisa and Tohru, has the two maids of honor. Next Arisa's small cousin, Kuma, as the flower girl. Then me. Then finally Saki and Kazuma.

The music began directly on cue, and Tohru and Arisa began to walk. They where both in long gold dresses white lilies pinned neatly in there hair. Tohru was crying softly, and I'm sure I saw Arisa brush a tear away, pretending to scratch her eye.

Next came a little girl with a striking resemblance to Arisa. Her sandy hair was tied in to little pigtails with pink ribbons, wearing a matching pink dress hemmed with lace. Her shoes where tiny little Mary-Janes, and she was throwing white flowers randomly with small chubby fingers. All in all, Kuma made an adorable picture.

My cue was coming up. I prepared myself to walk down the aisle. Suddenly a small man came waddling through the large doors leading to the church office.

"Excuse me," he said, clearing his throat for attention, "So sorry for the interruption, but there is a phone call for someone here. Usually I would have left a message," he said nodding apologetically at Mom, who looked ready to strangle him for stopping the rehearsal, "But the person said it was urgent. Is there a Megumi Hanajima here?"

I was slightly startled. "Yeah, that's me."

"Well, you'd better answer fast, my boy," he chuckled to me as I passed by him to the office, "Your mother looks ready to kill right about know." Like I needed telling.

She was crying on the phone. I could here gasping for breath with every sob as listened.

"Megumi, Is that you?"

"Sayoko? How did you know where to reach me?"

"I knew which church you'd be at, and I looked up the number."

"Oh. What's wrong."

She cried for a few seconds, and I waited patiently for her to continue.

"I can't say on the phone. You need to come here. Do you know where my house is?"

"Yeah, I think I can get there from here. But can't you just say so know? I'm at the wedding rehearsal."

"Please, Megumi? I need you here. I need you."

"I'll try."

"Thanks."

I put the phone down. I couldn't possibly go. I needed to be here.

_But she needs you, _ a voice in my head said.

_Saki needs you, too, _another voice protested.

"But she needs you more." That voice had not been in my head. I swiveled to see Saki, standing in the doorway.

"Huh?"

"Sayoko. I can sense she needs you. She needs you more than ever."

"But your rehearsal…"

She paused then, looking at me.

"You love her, don't you?"

I didn't answer, but I could feel a blush starting on my face.

"If you love her, please, go and help her. You need to help her. I'll be fine here, it's only the rehearsal. Go." She came and touched my shoulder.

"She needs you, Megumi." She smiled at me.

I nodded. I smiled, then I broke into a run. I ran out of the office, out of the church (not looking at the horrified look on Mom's face) and down the street. Never before had I felt farther apart from Saki. And never before had I loved her so much.


	20. Comfort & Confession

It was raining heavily, but even so she was sitting on the front porch. She could not bear to look inside. But it was not much better looking outside. On her driveway, several fire trucks and an ambulance had parked outside her home. She had expected them.

Misaki, she knew, was in one of those ambulances. Some one was probably attending to her severe burns at this very minute. But she also knew it would not do any good. Misaki would die. Just as she would. The counter curse had not worked. And she felt even more dispair then ever.

Then she saw him. He was barely visible in the rain, but she could tell he was running. As he became clearer and clearer she could finally made out his face. _Megumi, _she thought. And even though she is sad at the death of Misaki, she felt a little better knowing he had come.

As soon as he reached the porch she ran into his arms. She pressed her head against his chest and cried hard. He stroked her auburn hair, and waited for the crying to cease.

"Misaki," she said finally, "She was cooking and the stove went out of control and burned her really badly. I called the ambulance and everything, but…Megumi, this is all my fault! I screwed up everything! Something went wrong."

"It's not your fault," he said softly, "It's mine. I shouldn't have expected you to learn so quickly. I'm so, so sorry."

She continued to cry into his chest until the ambulance left. Until the fire truck left. Finally they went inside. She was wet and shivering, but she was not crying anymore. Megumi made her some tea, and sat down beside her.

"There's something I have to tell you." He said, looking at her. "For a while now, I've been thinking about this whole thing. The curses, the lessons, all of it. And every time I do, I wonder why I did it? Why I began teaching you. At first I said it was because I felt sorry for you. But that was dumb, sympathy isn't an excuse. Then I thought because I was bored. But that was silly too. I even thought, maybe, I was trying to replace Saki with you, in a way. But that's not even true. There is only one answer, that made sense. One answer that was true and perfect." She looked at him, surprised.

"What?"

"I love you."

She couldn't have heard him right. It couldn't be true. She had to hear it again to believe it.

"What?"

"I…love you."

She smiled. Then, she kissed him. And so, in the end, she thought as they kissed, I have fallen in love before my death.

"Awww," said a cold female voice from behind them. "How sweet. Young love. So beautiful."

The first thing Sayoko saw were to green eyes. Then the long black hair, and cold sharp features, and then she realized.

_Kira._


	21. The Chase

She stood up from the couch she has been sitting on and walked slowly to the couple.

"Kira. How did you get here?"

"My name is not Kira," she said coldly, "My name is Shika. I am the descendant of Kira the great witch. And I have come to kill you, the remaining member of the Yamada line."

My breath came out in small raspy gasps. Why was she here? Why was she in my house? I had to stop it. _Think of something, _my brain screamed. But all I could think of was _stall. _

"Why do you want to kill me? You don't even know me."

The woman laughed. "Oh, I know exactly who you are. You are Sayoko Yamada. You are 15 years old, but you say your 16 because your birthday is coming up in just 4 weeks, anyway. You're a straight A and B student. You're especially good in English and History. You're a superb artist. You've gone through many sketch books, and you want to become a professional when you grow up. You've lived with your sister for the past 2 months. Until she burst into flames, that is. But of course, I knew it would happen. Because, you see, I caused it to happen. I cause all of the deaths to happen." I went numb. "Your mother was easy," she continued, "One day when she was having a coffee a small isolated shop, I just tipped a little wasting poison in her cup. The baby was the first to go, then her. Wasn't so hard. Your father? He was the most simple. Just ran him off a small deserted road. It was your brother that was the hardest one. He was the only one who had caught on. He was the one that had expected me. He was the one that put up a fight. But in the end, he lost."

_No, _I thought. _This woman is crazy. It was the curse that killed my family._ However, somewhere In the back of my mind, I remembered the note. The note I had found only hours after Ryu's death, written in Ryu's strange language. And although I had not though much of it then, I was beginning to try to translate it in my mind.

"I know what your thinking," she said quietly, "The curse? Well, I am the curse. Myself an my ancestors. For generations my family have been training and studying for one thing. One goal. On purpose." She stepped a little closer. "To kill the Yamada's, and avenge Kira. However, one Yamada has always been able to escape us. One of you has always been able to get away. A second cousin, a great uncle, and the Yamada's have been able to continue there family." She with drew a gun from her coat pocket and aimed it at my chest.

"Until now."

Megumi stood in front of me.

"Move, boy," she said, "You have nothing to do with this, however I am not afraid to spill innocent blood."

"I'm not going anywhere," he said calmly. But I was not listening. I was thinking. I had just realized, somehow, what the note had said, something about there being no curse. About a killer. How he had gone to try and stop her. I'm sure somewhere in their, he had said how much he loved Misaki and I, but I couldn't be sure, and there was no time. All I could think was _run. _And so I grabbed Megumi's hand, and began to run as I never ran before. I pushed Shika out of the way and ran out the door, down the street and into the patch of woods near our house. I heard gun shots, and even felt a bullet whiz past my left ear. The trees blurred pass us, as we shot through the woods. I could here her, not far behind us. She was shooting wildly maniacly. I wondered how many bullets the gun could carry

"It's over!" I heard her scream breathlessly over the wind rushing in my ears. "We've won! You will die, tonight!"

_You will die tonight._

And that's when we got to the cliff.

It was not very high, standing over a cold rushing river. For a split second we stopped. For a small moment we paused and considered. But then, in the next second, we realized there was no choice really. And so we jumped.


	22. The End

_The end came quickly, and there wasn't any pain. Nothing but darkness occupies the space in between life and death. Sometimes it is like a long fall into a deep slumber. Sometimes it is a short, sudden burst into a bright light. _

_Sayoko was almost to her end. She was not sure whether she had been shot, was drowning. As she drifted in the dark space in between, and wondered where she would end up. Would she be in heaven? Would she be in hell? Or would she arrive in the Yamada graveyard, which, to her, wasn't much better then hell?_

_And then she remembered Megumi. Was he reaching his end, too? Why had she dragged him into it? It was okay if it was only her who was going, but Megumi did not deserve this. He was not part of the curse. He couldn't have said no right from the start? Most people probably would have. Why didn't he?_

"_There is only one answer, that made sense. One answer that was true and perfect. I love you."_

_She loved him too. She had never had the chance to say so. She wanted too. And as she drifted further and further, as she realized that she was about to be swallowed up by death, she began to struggle. She fought the floating feeling that had carried her thus far. She started pushing her self back, away from death, trying desperately to go back. She pushed and pushed until she saw a hand in the distance. And then an arm then a torso than a face._

_Megumi. He had saved her again._

_And so she pushed those last few feet to him. And she took his hand._

_There was a flash, a strange content feeling, and then she was completely unconscious._

_But still, very much, alive._


	23. The New Beginning

She was cold and bluer than ever as she lay there still. She was still breathing, but in heavy raspy breaths. Her auburn hair was wet and tangled, her clothes wet and drroping. I wrapped her in a big furry towel, one of the policeman had brought when I called the 911 line.

They where all here, in there flashing police cars. One police man was holding an unconscious Shika in his arms and gently putting her in the back seat of a car. As I sat a distance away, watching all that was going on, I felt a stirring in my arms. I looked down to see a pair of wide green-hazel eyes staring back up at me.

"Hi." Was all she said. She stretched, yawned, and looked around. She took in the scene: the police cars and policeman, Shika, now awake too, in handcuff, and her self, wet and cold, dripping.

"Did I miss something?"

I laughed. "Well, a lot did happen, you know. While you where out cold."

She wrapped the towel around herself again, and rested her head back on my chest.

"Something tells me this is an interesting story."

"Yeah, kinda."

"I've got time."

So I began. "When we jumped, you hit your head on rock and started sinking. It took forever to find you down their, you where probably under for 10 minutes. But, somehow, you survived."

"You saved me, didn't you?"

I didn't reply, but held her tighter. She smiled, and waited for me to continue.

"Anyway, when you started breathing again, I took you back to the top of the cliff. I guess Shika thought you where dead. And she had tried to kill herself. She had the gun to her head when we got back up there. Now that her life's ambition was finished, why continue to live? When she saw you alive, a split second before she pulled the trigger, she was so surprised she accidentely hit herself with it and knocked herself out. I called the police and told them what had happened. And they came." I grinned, "But isn't it great? You're safe now! You don't have to worry about death anymore! They scanned her family tree, and she's the only member left."

"Like me, in a way. But there's one thing I don't understand."

"What's that?"

"What about the Yamada graveyard, and Kira, and the curse? Was it all fake? Was it all in my head?"

I considered. "I think, as long as you believed the curse, and let it control your life, it was real. When the thing that kept it alive, Shika and her family, died, or, well, went to jail, It was no longer there. I think." I'm not sure if I was making sense. But she was nodding, as though she understood.

"So, I guess we did break the curse, didn't we?" She moved her lips closer to mine.

"Yeah, I guess we did," I said before I gave my self into the kiss.

And we had. This was a new beginning. And I can't think of a better end to this story.


	24. The Wedding

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife."

After that, the rest of the day was a kind of blur. Saki and Kazuma's first wedding dance, the banquet, the toast, the elephants and all of my mother's crazy plans unfolded perfectly, and the day soon came to end. The party continued late into the night. I looked at Sayoko, who was chatting amiably to my mother at the other end of the room.

"You should ask her to dance, you know." I turned to see Arisa, standing before me in her golden dress.

I grinned back at her. "You know I don't dance." Arisa sat down beside me. She stared at her feet, then at me, then back at her feet.

"So, is she your girlfriend?" I considered for a moment.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Arisa nodded distractedly. Then she laughed. "You…you really grew these past few months, haven't you?" I didn't answer. She didn't seem to expect one. "I don't really know all the details, but I'm pretty sure she had something to do with it, huh?" I nodded.

"I…I…" she didn't seem to know what to say after that. So instead she hugged me. And when she pulled back, I could see tears in her eyes.

"I'm really happy for you. And at the same time, I'll miss you. Everything's changing…" she looked away. Then she grinned her usual wide grin, "But that's okay."

With that she stood, and walked away. I saw her slow dance with Kureno, and thought to myself, _Everything is changing. _Change. It wasn't bad. No, it was a good thing. As I remember everything that had happened to me these past few months, I think to myself that, if I had the choice, I wouldn't have changed a thing. Not one thing.

I walked into the garden out the empty gardens, and stared into the fountain that stood in the middle. I felt warm arms wrap around my chest, and a head rest against my back. I didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"This was a beautiful wedding," she said. "Someday, I want a wedding just like this. She turned me to face her, and kissed me. I was getting used the sensation of when her lips touched mine. The warm tingles up my spine, and my heart feeling like it would burst.

I wanted to tell her that I would marry her right that day, that second if she wanted to. If she really wanted. But I was getting ahead of myself. We had plenty of time to think about that. In fact, we had our whole lives. Right now, that moment, that kiss, that feeling, that was enough. Because everything was changing. And everyone was truly happy, at last.


	25. The Curse is Truly Broken

The baby was born on a cold December night. Midnight to be exact. It weighed 5 pounds, 7 ounces, and was born easily as anyone could wish. It started breathing immediately, no need for an emergency. The doctor commented that it was the smoothest birth he had ever performed.

It was confirmed that it was a girl. Her name would be Tsukina, meaning moon. She was wrapped in a soft pink cotton blanket and placed gently in the tired mother's arms. The mother's light auburn haired was tangled with sweat, and she was breathing heavily, but a glowing smile was on her face as she took the baby in her arms. The father sat beside the bed in a white chair, running his hand through his jet black hair.

They looked at the baby. Her hair was as thick and black as her father's, and her eyes a green hazel, like her mother's. The baby blinked a few times, staring back up at these people.

Sayoko nuzzled Tsukina's nose. "So, little one," she said softly, "Are you the end of the curse?"

And the child, in reply,

Laughed.


End file.
